There are import fees for a vehicle entering Honduras. Total should be under US$40 for self and vehicle. Some crossings are known for frequent scams, with ignorant riders paying vast sums.

I'm not sure why the OP got off without paying the legitimate rate.

Mark

There are two gas Stations just on the inside of Guatemala. First one at the the first light just passed the bridge and one a few hundred meters on the road to Flores/Tikal. It is much cheaper to refuel on the Guatemalan side, by about 20%.

Excellent write up sellheim!

Some updates and additional thoughts -

Cash vs. Credit
Regarding cash vs. credit card for the required "security deposit" in Mexico, a rider told he had problems getting cash back as he was leaving Mexico and entering Guatemala. It seems the small border crossing office didn't have enough cash on hand. And they only will return cash for cash, credit for credit. Not sure how it was resolved...

Copies of Documentation
The Chetumal, Mexico side of the frontier was shiny new in the end of May 2013. It was so new they didn't have copy machines to make the require copies and there were no vendors (copy shacks.) I still have one black and white copy of my passport. Everything else they were able to make copies by running through a fax machine. Suggest taking lots of copies when you hit the road. Make more as needed. Scan your key documents, then store them on a thumb drive AND online. If you lost a critical document, a printed copy night be excepted at a border. Having a scan of your passport will make getting a replacement at an embassy easier.

Border Cambo Guys
I highly recommend getting a currency conversion app for your phone. I use Currency for my iPhone. The app was very useful when negotiating with the Cambo Guys and for every other purchase where I wanted to know/confirm the value in USD. Be sure to add all of the country currencies to the app before hand; chances are your phone won't be connected and there won't be wifi at the border. I assume there is a version of Currency for Android. Worse case, prepare a list exchange rates for each country before leaving home and take a palm sized calculator. Expect the Cambo Guys to make a little bit of money on the deal. Keep the amounts low, so you don't get wildly ripped off in the event of an exchange miscalculation. PS: If you have a Bank of America account, you can withdraw cash from Santander Bank (Mexico), without any fees.

General
Most riders dread crossing borders. It really isn't so bad. Have your key documents handy and offer them up to the officials (Passport, title, license and vehicle registration) with copies. If you approach process with a smile, it can actually be a little fun. Its just a game of fill in the blanks.

NEVER EVER give your original documents to a "helper." If you don't want to hire someone that is making a hard sell, make eye contact and say "no gracias." If they persist, say "¿Entiendes? no" (Do you understand No?) It works every time.

Heading toward Guatemala, on the south side of Tapachula, Mexico, a mile or two before the border, guys with nice, official looking shirts flagged us down and started demanding our papers and passport. These were aggressive (very) helpers. We figured out that they were not official and rode off. Sometimes its hard to tell who is official and who is not. At the border, if they have a gun or a embroidered emblem on their shirt, chance are they are with the government. If they have a cheesy ID card around their neck, which they are eager to show, then they are a service for hire. Buyer beware.

If you do decide to use a helper, set the price/tip up front. The few times I hired a helper, I would only offer $5.00, saying frankly that I am on a budget and that is all I have to spend. Worked every time and I probably over paid. Often there are several helpers standing around, so competition is stiff.

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Peter B
2008/09 - NJ to Costa Rica and back to NJ
2012/13 - NJ to Northern Argentina, Jamaica, Cuba and back to NJ
2023 - Peru, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia...back to Peru.

Blogs: Peter's Ride

Hi Dom,

Great write up! Thanks for sharing the info and helping future travelers.

I put together BorderHelper.com to be a database of border crossings around the globe (because the info tends to get lost in forums). With your permission, I'd like to repost this on the site. Thanks!

-Ben

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Motorcycle Mexico - The easiest way to prepare for your first ride south of the border.
USA to TDF Blog

Cheers for the extra info Peter, every bit helps

Hi Ben, cool site. sure feel free to add the info to your site - you can throw me and the HUBB in as a reference if you want

ta

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvros...ature=youtu.be

Done and done. Happy riding amigo!

__________________
Motorcycle Mexico - The easiest way to prepare for your first ride south of the border.
USA to TDF Blog

A very useful guide, but important to remember that rules and regs can and do change. And you cannot beat local information.

Certain rules are more flexible than others.

Carrying spare tires and fuel across some borders may incur duty if not approached correctly.